Does the dryer kill bed bugs? That is quite an interesting question. Now, it is obvious that a dryer would have a significant effect on bed bugs that happen to burrow themselves into clothes, but to what extent the dryer help with a bed bug infestation is in fact the question that needs to be answered.
Does The Dryer Kill Bed Bugs?
Yes. Any dryer with a temperature steering would be able to get rid of a number of bed bugs for you. The point to keep in mind is that any temperature lower than 45 C would have little to no effect on these stubborn creatures.
Why All The Fuss Over Temperature?
You might be wondering what is so important about the temperature of the dryer. Bed bugs are survivalists and they tend to outlive the harshest of circumstances. Bed bugs can comfortably survive temperatures up to 45 C. It should hence be noted that a temperature slightly below 45 C also, would be unable to do damage to them. You might also want to keep in mind that most dryers take a minimum of 15 minutes to reach the above temperature. So the cycle should be for a minimum of 20 minutes at least.
How To Use The Dryer To Kill Bed Bugs?
Using a dryer with a temperature above 45 degrees can be successful to get rid of bed bugs from your clothes. A dryer will take around 15 minutes to reach that suggested temperature. Make sure the infected clothes are not delicate enough to endure the temperature and use a handheld vacuum on them.
Put these clothes in a dissolvable trash bag and secure them tightly. Wash them in the machine in the hottest cycle for half an hour. Put them directly in the dryer at the hottest cycle for another 30 minutes and your clothes will be free of bed bugs.
Getting rid of bed bugs is not as easy as tossing them into the dryer. There are certain steps that need to be followed so as to ensure your dryer treatment is effective.
What Are The Different Ways To Kill Bed Bugs?
The different ways to kill bed bugs are:
- Sort the garments – This is different from the regular sorting by the colour that you would do before laundry. Sort the infected clothes from the clean ones. Also, keep in mind that some of the clothes might be delicate or in need of dry cleaning only. You would have to make special arrangements for them.
- Get out the hand vacuum – This can potentially double the effectiveness of this treatment. Use a handheld vacuum on infected clothes to get rid of a large chunk of visible bed bugs. The good news is their eggs might also be sucked into the vacuum, which is all the better. Be cautious to place all the vacuumed clothes into a trash bag that you can dump into your washing machine. You may also use dissolvable trash bags at this stage.
- Wash the infected garments – Once you have sorted out your clothes and subjected them to a vacuuming session, they are now all set for a wash. Dump all the clothes directly into the washing machine. Make sure you secure the trash bag tightly and dispose of it away from your house. You can also place the trash bag in another sealed bag and then dispose of it. Now run your washing machine on the hottest cycle possible for a minimum of 30 minutes. This step in itself will render a number of bed bugs dead.
- Air-dry the garments – It is now finally time to use the dryer. Take the clothes out of the washing machine and dump them in the dryer directly, again, taking care not to let the clothes come in contact with any other surface as they might still be harbouring bed bugs or their eggs. Run your dryer on the hottest cycle possible for a minimum of 30 minutes. You can also tumble dry your clothes for an additional 15 minutes to be double sure.
Does This Solve The Bed Bug Problem?
If you follow all the steps, you can be certain that your clothes will be free of bed bugs. However, this might not be enough to take care of your infestation. You might still need a number of other treatments to get rid of bed bugs completely from your living space.
Closing Thoughts
Using a dryer is a great way to keep your clothes bed bugs-free. You can be sure that you are no longer a spreader of bed bugs via your clothes, but you still have to deal with the infestation in your home. There are a number of home remedies you can try like pesticidal or insecticidal sprays, baking soda, vinegar, diatomaceous earth powder, etc. Bed bug traps, bed bug steamers, and heaters are also good ideas.
